The bike being in my friends name is a bit mafan isn't it though? Doesn't it means I need his help to buy insurance every year? And wont the insurance be in his name and not mine? So I'm not actually the one insured to ride the bike? Or is insurance different in China and the bike is the object that is insured, not the specific person?

Do I always need his help to buy it? I was told to go to the 中国人民保险公司 （insurance company) with the bikes 行驶证 (Ownership papers)， and the 车主的身份证 (Owners Chiense ID)

Will the insurance company really need to see his ID card? Why can't anyone purchase insurance? I'm from the UK and anyone can insure a vehicle they don't own. The company only cares they get their money, not where it comes from.

Do I always need his help to buy it? I was told to go to the 中国人民保险公司 （insurance company) with the bikes 行驶证 (Ownership papers)， and the 车主的身份证 (Owners Chiense ID)

Will the insurance company really need to see his ID card? Why can't anyone purchase insurance? I'm from the UK and anyone can insure a vehicle they don't own. The company only cares they get their money, not where it comes from.

The insurance company need to read the the information from the ID card, so in most case the answer is yes, However, in Beijing there's some insurance agent can just input the ID number to buy the insurance, but the photo of the ID is still needed.

You can ask if there's some local could do that, and keep a copy and photo of the ID card.

I spoke to a motorcycle dealership and he said he could help me get the insurance, he wanted me to send him a photograph of the 身份证 and 行驶证 and he would go to the insurance office and get the insurance.
It wasn't clear if he was intending to pretend he was the person on the 身份证 or not.

If all that's required is a photograph of the owners card for anyone to purchase, without pretending they are that person, I should be ok to insure it myself.

I spoke to a motorcycle dealership and he said he could help me get the insurance, he wanted me to send him a photograph of the 身份证 and 行驶证 and he would go to the insurance office and get the insurance.
It wasn't clear if he was intending to pretend he was the person on the 身份证 or not.

If all that's required is a photograph of the owners card for anyone to purchase, without pretending they are that person, I should be ok to insure it myself.

Yes you can insure it on your name, but it's require the owner's ID to prove that "you have been authorized from the owner to use the bike." If you want to insure a bike not on the owners name, both of your IDs are required.

Well if it's going to be a bike, it will HAVE to be a Chinese bike...always better to buy or hire local...other recommendations beside the MT?

So my conclusions so far are:
- not really necessary to get residence and full DL, it should be possible to get a temporary car and MOTO DL at Chengdu airport; this temporary DL together with an IDL should be good enough to drive anywhere
- it should be possible to obtain the bike from some dealer (easier rent than buy??)
- any of this failing, there's still the backup option of car rental

Did I get it right?

Thanks and regards!

Hoping this thread develops more over the next few weeks / months! I'm in a very similar situation, looking (hoping / praying) to acquire a bike, and the documents required to ride it as peacefully as possible, through Yunnan, Sichuan, and Xinjiang, with a tourist visa.

Looks like it won't be possible to do it 100% legit, but potentially doable.

Anyone have experience riding in (the remoter parts of) Western China recently? If so, what's the situation on the ground with security / checkpoints / freedom of movement?

Hoping this thread develops more over the next few weeks / months! I'm in a very similar situation, looking (hoping / praying) to acquire a bike, and the documents required to ride it as peacefully as possible, through Yunnan, Sichuan, and Xinjiang, with a tourist visa.

Looks like it won't be possible to do it 100% legit, but potentially doable.

Anyone have experience riding in (the remoter parts of) Western China recently? If so, what's the situation on the ground with security / checkpoints / freedom of movement?

Thanks in advance!

PM me if you want to buy or rent
A fully legal Cfmoto 650 MT
Fully set up for touring .

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